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RE: XP Media Center and TV Tuners

Bruce R — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 10:53:08 GMT

Hi FS - a further report. :)
Mint4's kernel doesn't contain the driver needed by the T-500, but Mint5 and 'the Heron' do, with Kaffeine providing a much 'less clunky' FreeView display and Electronic Program Guide than the Hauppauge WinTV software provides for XP. ;)

Looks like I'll have to shuffle my old AvertTV PCI cards around for better multi Operating System use, confining the T-500 to a rig for investigating MythTV, but a quick PostScript. Using my Club/ATI HD2600PRO, the EnvyNG drivers in the Heron/Mint5 still aren't satisfactory, but as you advised, the 'Restricted Driver' works quite well, even responding to the cut-down Catalyst Control Panel.
(Meanwhile, via Updates, the Nvidia driver just keeps getting better, with the Ubuntu Intrepid Alpha-5 driver now matching ATI video reality colour.)

RE: XP Media Center and TV Tuners

EdP — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:14:56 GMT

I hit [url=http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/board/showthread.php?p=64865][b]this[/b][/url] as a possible fix while browsing the Hauppage forums. Perhaps given Hauppage's earlier run of problems with the same USB driver Microsoft seem to be ignoring it as their problem and leaving it to Hauppage to fix their software.

RE: XP Media Center and TV Tuners

Bruce R — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:02:04 GMT

Hi FS - sorry to be slow getting back, but my [A] rig has been playing up with non-clip SATA cables, but I see that my using XP(SP2) may have helped the T-500. Some good news is that Ubuntu 8.04.1's kernel obviously contains basic drivers for the card, because Kaffeine found and displayed FreeView transmissions. :w00t:
Edit PS - I guess that means it will work with Mint5, but I'll check. :cool:

RE: XP Media Center and TV Tuners

FM — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:17:12 GMT

[quote]is there other software you could try (did any come with it?) just to make sure it works? [/quote]

GB-PVR. It works with my Nova-T (900**) :)

If you've already got the drivers installed then it'll already recognise the card. Setting up the XMLTV feed is the hardest thing to do, if you try this software out I can help you out with this. :)

Edit: [url=http://www.gbpvr.com/]http://www.gbpvr.com/[/url] and the [url=http://www.gbpvr.com/pmwiki/]Wiki[/url] is excellent for help.

It even works with the Hauppauge remote. Look on the card itself, on the white sticker. Is it a 900** or a 909, or something else? :)

RE: XP Media Center and TV Tuners

FreakShow! — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:13:53 GMT

Just had a response from the Hauppage forums.

[quote]I wouldn't bother - the T500 is incompatible with SP3 until MS provide an update. You'll just get BSODs until they fix it. Go back to SP2.[/quote]

Wonderful......

RE: XP Media Center and TV Tuners

Bruce R — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:16:19 GMT

Hi Freakshow!
I had a quick try with my Nova-t 500 last night and it was as I remembered for Hauppauge, rather confusing. With an already installed and configured WinXP(SP2), I powered off the PC and inserted the card into a spare PCI slot and powered back up.
As usual it was detected by XP, but as per the Hauppauge small print, I 'Cancel'd the detection etc and inserted the Hauppauge CD (yellow WinTV Version 4.0A) and it automatically offered to install drivers or WinTV.
I invoked the drivers installation and, not emphasized enough by Hauppauge, simply ignored all XP attempts to hijack that process, allowing the Hauppauge process to run to completion, automatically shutting down the PC.
Under Control Panel, System's Device Manager, I thus achieved satisfactory driver installation, so went on to install WinTV and SCAN for channels, to confirm that all was well, which it was.
After restoring from an Image later today, I will check whether it's all repeatable, before going on to see what installed Ubuntu 8.04.1 makes of the card.
So, with OS already installed, try NOT letting XP run the show, but rely on the yellow CD ? ;)

RE: XP Media Center and TV Tuners

FreakShow! — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:42:56 GMT

[quote][b]Phitore (03/09/2008)[/b][hr]I had a similar problem with a Hauppage, different model though, it worked fine if I installed the OS first and the card later, but not if the card was already in when I installed the OS.

Windows had to find the new hardware, and insert the Hauppage disk when it asked for it.

Every reinstallation I had to remove the card, otherwise it would only work with Hauppage's software.

I have no idea what the cause was or if you got the same problem.
Worth a shot though if you haven't done that already.[/quote]

It sound so stupid and unreasonable a demand it might just work! Will give it a try tomorrow.

RE: XP Media Center and TV Tuners

Bruce R — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:51:26 GMT

Hi Freakshow ! :)
I have got the same model twin-tuner card, with a 'Rev D885' label (there are subtly different versions). Hoping to make use of wyliecoyoteuk advice, I had been hoping to use it in XP and Ubuntu on my [B] rig. I already know that all such cards are a pain to install, with the worst [i]needing more than one driver correctly installed and set up in XP before other software can correctly recognize and use the cards.[/i]
Hauuppauge are particularly bad in my experience, with down load drivers being incomplete or different from supplied CD drivers. In the past, I had to use a mix of such software to get DEC-2000Ts to work properly ! It's not helped by Hauppauge technical staff being US-based and not having actual access to UK transmissions.

When I had a quick play with the 500-T a couple of months ago, I had antenna problems. I'll have another go and let you know I get on.

RE: XP Media Center and TV Tuners

Phitore — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:37:47 GMT

I had a similar problem with a Hauppage, different model though, it worked fine if I installed the OS first and the card later, but not if the card was already in when I installed the OS.

Windows had to find the new hardware, and insert the Hauppage disk when it asked for it.

Every reinstallation I had to remove the card, otherwise it would only work with Hauppage's software.

I have no idea what the cause was or if you got the same problem.
Worth a shot though if you haven't done that already.

RE: XP Media Center and TV Tuners

Tippon — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:35:23 GMT

I had the same problem with an old Hauppage card and a Pinnacle card. Both support MCE but the MCE interface wouldn't recognise them. Using their own software, they work great, but that defeats the object.

RE: XP Media Center and TV Tuners

EdP — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:05:24 GMT

I've got to confess that my experience with Hauppage drivers is not good. In fact they can be a real pain in the a*rse! They seem to be extremely picky about the order of driver installation, and you often get reboot notices which you should ignore and proceed to the next step. I can only suggest two things:-

a) Go through your Windows system driver tabs and look for the yellow exclamation marks and try to do manual installs-give it the Hauppage directory as the location of the driver(s), This works on Vista 64, but is really irritating.

b) Say the h*ll with it, uninstall the lot and start again, but ignore the reboots. Often this works with XP - why I don't know!

EDIT: Make sure you use the Hauppage uninstall utility if you do b) as this ensures a clean start.

Good Luck!

RE: XP Media Center and TV Tuners

alex3410 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:36:52 GMT

is there other software you could try (did any come with it?) just to make sure it works?

RE: XP Media Center and TV Tuners

FreakShow! — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:36:05 GMT

All is upto date. Device Manager shows no problems.

RE: XP Media Center and TV Tuners

alex3410 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:24:36 GMT

update drivers? [url=http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/site/support/support_other.html] from here some ware:P[/url] and update windows?

and does it show up ok in device manager ?

XP Media Center and TV Tuners

FreakShow! — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:07:20 GMT

Hi,

As some of you might know, I've got a media center going. It's XP Media Center 2005 with SP3 integrated. It installs fine, and drivers go in, but in Media Center it won't recognise the TV Tuners (It's a Hauppage Nova T 500).

Each time I try and setup the TV signal it gives an error of:

"TUNER NOT FOUND
The tuner hardware is either malfunctioning or not installed. Please ensure that both the tuner hardware and a valid tuner hardware driver are installed."

This is the reason I've started thinking about a PS3 instead, but does anyone know what I can try? The Hauppage forum isn't much use so far (no answers after a few days). Any tips you guys might have?